Are We in Awe of God?

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” – Hebrews 12:28-29 (NIV).   

Are you in awe of God? Have you ever taken a moment and tried to consider the greatness of God? Maybe you’ve thought about what God has done in the Bible, in your own life, or in the life of someone you know. Psalm 145:3 says “Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.” We cannot even begin to comprehend the full extent of the glory of God and His greatness. He is our Creator, our King, Savior, and Lord.

What should our response to God’s greatness be? Hebrews 12 encourages reverence and awe. Awe is a response to something.  It doesn’t exist in isolation but rather is the result of something seen, experienced, or encountered.  Being in awe of God implies that we respect Him as well as have an attitude of worship and admiration. Psalm 95:6 says “Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” God, in His greatness, is worthy of all our devotion and praise. He is worthy of our awe.

God is called “awesome” right after the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea. On that occasion, the army of the Egyptians which had pursued them had been washed away. Moses composed a song in commemoration of God’s salvation, in which he said about God: “Who is like you among the gods, O Lord—glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). We can easily understand that the Israelites stood in awe when they looked back at the Red Sea. For God had shown His majesty over nature. First, He had stopped the waters from flowing, allowing His people to cross the sea, and then He let the water resume its course. This is an event that even today we cannot fathom.

And yet, awe seems to be a fragile commodity.  One that’s not easily obtained easily lost and or replaced. We have a sense of familiarity that keeps us from captivating our imaginations with awe of who God is. We take God for granted and our worship of Him reflects that. It’s almost looking at the Cosmos with a “shrug” and settling for a passing knowledge.

Each weekend at Northstar and churches across the world, we have the opportunity to learn about and worship God. We have the opportunity to seek Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. Why would you settle for “just doing worship” when you could stand in awe?  The one true God is inviting you to see Him and stand amazed.

Discussion Questions:

1. How we can avoid familiarity with God in our lives?
2. What can we do this week to pause and worship our awesome God?